Of Italian origin, polenta with tuco is a dish widely enjoyed in South American countries, such as Argentina, Uruguay and Chile. It consists of a preparation of ground meat with Neapolitan sauce served with polenta. Coming from the Italian word succo (juice), tuco is a sauce widely used to accompany pasta, although it is usually more liquid than other similar recipes, such as ragu. Minced meat, onions and tomato cannot be missing in any tuco recipe.
For its part, polenta is the basis on which this recipe rests. It is made with corn flour boiled with broth or water, a mixture to which butter is also usually added. The final texture of this homemade preparation should be creamy and very liquid. At this article we teach you how to make polenta with tuco so you can enjoy it with your loved ones and prepare a different meal, especially if you don’t come from the countries where it is common to find it.
Ingredients to make Polenta with tuco:
- 250 grams of ground beef
- 1 glass of red wine
- 1 bowl of Parmesan cheese
- 1 bowl of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 1 teaspoon onion powder or minced fresh onion
- 1 pinch of black pepper
- 1 pinch of ground chili
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 piece of red sweet pepper
- 1 bowl of skinless tomato pulp
- For the polenta
- 2 tablespoons corn flour
- 1 liter of chicken broth
- 10 grams of butter
How to make Polenta with tuco:
- In a frying pan, heat the olive oil and add the finely sliced pepper.
- Add the ground beef and fry for 3 minutes.
- Add the tomato pulp and cook 3 more minutes over medium heat. Season with salt, sugar, chili, black pepper, minced garlic and, finally, the red wine. Lower the heat and let it cook slowly to get a delicious stewed meat sauce.
- Tip: If you prefer it to be more liquid, you can add more crushed tomato, as this recipe is characterized by the liquid consistency of its sauce.
- This is the time to prepare the polenta. Heat the chicken broth in a deep saucepan or frying pan. Add the cornmeal sprinkled to prevent lumps from forming.
- Tip: If lumps form, you can use a hand mixer to refine the polenta.
- Do not stop stirring the mixture and cook over low heat for 3 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when it’s creamy. If you see it very solid, you can add more broth or water. When it’s ready, add butter to melt over the polenta.
- Tip: Instead of chicken broth, you can use water and add a pinch of salt.
- Plate the freshly made polenta first and pour the tuco over it. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top and enjoy your polenta with tuco.
- Trick: accompanied by some toasted seeds or some crackers, it will be perfect!!
Polenta with tuco – accompaniments and calories
Polenta with tuco is an inexpensive dish and very easy to make. It is designed for those moments when we cannot spend much, but we need to eat well to renew our energies. In addition, as it is prepared with corn flour, polenta with tuco is suitable for coeliac, easy to digest and very satiating.
Polenta with tuco and cheese – Other accompaniments
Parmesan cheese is, without a doubt, the element that gives the polenta with tuco recipe the final touch. However, you can use any cheese of your choice, or none at all, and it will still be delicious. Other great sides include seed toast, garlic bread, and crackers.
You can also sprinkle parsley, oregano and other herbs on top of the tuco, as well as accompany it with olive slices. Also, if you prefer a more practical preparation, you can prepare polenta with tuco and baked cheese. It will be global!
Polenta with chicken tuco
Not a big fan of red meat? Polenta can also be accompanied with chicken tuco. To make it you just need to swap the ground beef with ground chicken or prepare it with a chicken breast. All ingredients can be left in the same proportions. You see that changing this recipe is very easy, prepare other alternatives by visiting the recipes we have for you:
- polenta with zucchini
- Polenta with prawns
- Vegan polenta croquettes
Polenta with tuco – Calories
Cooked polenta has approximately 190 calories per 100 g. For its part, tuco has approximately 92 calories in the same quantity, so the calories of polenta with tuco can reach 280 calories per 100 g.
In this way, it is a dish that manages to fill us with energy while providing us with important vitamins, minerals and fiber. From this preparation we can absorb vitamin A, B vitamins, as well as magnesium and potassium.